


Why Is It Always Three Games?

by tuesdaysinoctober



Series: The Gaang Plays Volleyball [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, katara and zuko have an awkward conversation, sokka and aang play beach volleyball, suki thinks zuko is hot, the girls watch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:07:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27899569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuesdaysinoctober/pseuds/tuesdaysinoctober
Summary: Sokka and Aang play beach volleyball against Jet and Zuko
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Series: The Gaang Plays Volleyball [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2044507
Comments: 1
Kudos: 44





	Why Is It Always Three Games?

**Author's Note:**

> I don't play beach volleyball and I basically searched up beach volleyball basics. Suki and Toph cuss in this one. There's another thought that isn't italicized but whatcha gonna do?

“Is Toph here yet?” Suki asks, not looking up from her phone. 

“No, I don’t see her car,” Katara says. “Do you know who Sokka and Aang are playing next?” 

“It’s says-- ugh this stupid app,” Suki says, hitting her phone. “Ugh. Okay. Club Ozai, I think.” 

“I hope they can win,” Katara says, going up on her tiptoes. 

“Well, it’s against Jet and that Zuko kid and Sokka said they haven’t won an actual game against them yet.” 

“Haven’t won an actual game against who?” Yue says, coming up behind them. She hands Katara candy and an energy drink, then places a bag of chips in Suki’s hand which is waving in frustration. 

“This app is dumb. They never change it and everyone is always complaining about it,” Suki says, huffing. 

Yue opens her mouth to ask again but Katara says, “Sokka and Aang haven’t won a game against Club Ozai.” 

“Oh,” she says. “Is their beach team really that good?” 

“Their beach team is Jet,” Suki says. “So yeah.” 

“I really wish you’d stop giving him so much credit,” Katara says. 

“While his other traits are morally questionable, he _is _a good volleyball player. I’ll give him respect where respect is due.”__

____

“There’s Toph,” Yue says, pointing. 

____

Toph looks particularly unhappy, not necessarily to be there, but because her mother is leading her by the arm to her friends. 

____

“Don’t let her have any junk food,” her mother says to Katara upon their arrival. Katara nods and Toph’s mother leaves quickly, pulling out her phone to make a call. 

____

Toph immediately sticks her hands in Katara’s box of candy and they walk to the stands. 

____

“It’s so hot,” Toph says. 

____

“I can go back and get some water,” Yue offers as they climb the stands. 

____

“No, I’m fine,” Toph says. “Who are they playing?” 

____

“Club Ozai,” Katara says, sitting down. 

____

“Oh, shit,” Toph says. 

____

“Hey, look they’re coming out,” Suki says. 

____

Aang, Sokka, and their coach, Piandao, are setting water bottles and towels on the bench. Piandao beckons the two of them closer, presumably to talk strategy. 

____

Suki munches on her chips before stealing Yue’s energy drink. 

____

“If I yell boo when I see Jet, do you think I’ll get kicked out?” Katara asks. 

____

“Oh, Agni,” Suki says, handing Yue her energy drink back. 

____

“Is that the boy you ran into, though?” Yue asks, nodding at the boy on the other side of the court. 

____

“Yeah, I think so,” Katara says, squinting. “You know what? I’m going to do it.” 

____

True to her word, when Jet walks out, Katara yells, “Booooo!” 

____

He looks up, and seeing her standing there, salutes her. 

____

“Oof,” Suki says as Katara sits back down. “Who do you want to narrate, Toph?” 

____

“I don’t care,” Toph says. “Just make it interesting.” 

____

Katara watches as Aang sprints across the court to get a ball that’s almost out, but not quite. He pancakes, thrusting his arm out. The ball just barely gets up and Sokka passes it high enough in the air that Aang has enough time to roll to the side, get up, and free ball it over. 

____

She finds herself watching Club Ozai’s side more than her brother and friend. She knows how Jet plays already-- he’s the one that got her into volleyball in the first place, what with him dragging her to all of his games. No, it’s Ozai’s son that fascinates her. 

____

He’s _spectacular _.__

____

__The way he moves is almost mechanical-- it’s like he can predict every way the ball is going to go and get there with no problem. He misses two balls (not that she was counting or anything) and both of those were because Jet didn’t call it and went for it anyways._ _

____

__Aang and Sokka lose this match but they win the next one, narrowly._ _

____

__“Why does it always go to three games?” Suki complains, taking a break from narrating for Toph._ _

____

__“We’re too evenly matched against them, I guess,” Katara says, shaking her box for candy. “This is their last game, though.”_ _

____

__“I thought they had another,” Toph said. “That’s what you told me. Also, who’s this guy you keep talking about?”_ _

____

__“Their game’s tomorrow,” Katara says. “What guy?”_ _

____

__“The kid,” Toph says, waving her hand. “The dude that Yue said you ran into.”_ _

____

__“Oh, his name’s Zuko. He’s Ozai’s son,” Katara says._ _

____

__“And Ozai is?” Toph says, letting her voice trail off._ _

____

__“He runs the club that we always play against,” Suki says. “Zuko's kind of hot, actually.”_ _

____

__“How am I supposed to know?” Toph asks irritably._ _

____

__“Whoops, sorry. I don’t know. He obviously works out and his hair isn’t that bad.”_ _

____

__Yue turns around when she hears this, although what she says next doesn’t exactly contribute to the topic._ _

____

__“I hope Sokka’s okay,” she says, which causes Katara to raise her eyebrows._ _

____

__“Why? Is he hurt?”_ _

____

__“I think he skinned his knee.”_ _

____

__“He’ll be fine.”_ _

____

__They stay silent for the last game, except for Suki narrating for Toph._ _

____

__“Okay it’s-- Aang is setting, Sokka’s hitting-- that was a terrible one-- other team is returning and okay, Aang dug it, Sokka dumped-- holy shit, that was a good dig.”_ _

____

__Sokka and Aang lose, although it goes into a back and forth match, where Club Ozai gets a point and then they do._ _

____

__“Hey, tough loss,” Suki says, when they come down from the bleachers._ _

____

__“Yeah, I guess,” Sokka says. “There were a couple balls I could’ve gotten that I didn’t.”_ _

____

__“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Yue says as Suki’s eyes wander to the other side of the court. Katara follows her gaze to see Zuko shake out the sweat from his hair and then ruffle it with a towel, making it all spiky._ _

____

__“That was hot,” Suki mutters to Katara, who laughs._ _

____

__“What?” Sokka asks, looking between them._ _

____

__“Suki _really _likes Zuko’s hair,” Katara says with a snicker._ _ __

______ _ _

__“What?” Sokka says. He glances at Zuko before pulling his hair out of his tail. “I can do that too, Suki, watch.”_ _

______ _ _

__“You’re ridiculous,” she says._ _

______ _ _

__Toph crosses her arms. “Could one of you two just ask the other out already?”_ _

______ _ _

__They both fall silent, Suki crossing her arms and looking away, Sokka staring at his feet. Katara checks her phone._ _

______ _ _

__“Gran-Gran’s here,” she says. “Anyone need a ride?”_ _

______ _ _

__“I do,” Aang says, half-raising his hand._ _

______ _ _

__“I can drive you, Toph,” Suki says. “You too, Yue, if you need.”_ _

______ _ _

__“No, my father is picking me up,” Yue says with a shake of her head._ _

______ _ _

__“Can I go to the bathroom first?” Aang asks, as Suki, Toph and Yue take off toward the entrance._ _

______ _ _

__“Yeah. I wanna fill up my water. Sokka, are you going to stick around or do you want to go to the front with them?” Katara asks, nodding toward the entrance._ _

______ _ _

__“Oh, I’ll catch up with Yue,” he says._ _

______ _ _

__“Let’s go, Aang,” Katara says, heading off in the direction of the bathroom._ _

______ _ _

__Aang goes into the bathroom and Katara leans against the wall, scrolling through her phone._ _

______ _ _

__She hears the door open and thinks, _That was fast _.____

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

____“Okay, you know that kid Teo? He’s doing this clinic for disabled volleyball players and he wants volunteers to help, do you think that we could do that? I think that--”_ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

____“Are you talking to me?” a rough voice interrupts._ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

____“What?” she says, looking up. Zuko is standing in front of her, looking both hostile and confused._ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

____“Oh. Oh, sorry, no. I-- I thought you were someone else,” she says, feeling her cheeks flush._ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

____“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he says._ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

____“You had some good plays,” she says, not really thinking._ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

____“Thanks. Were you watching?”_ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

____“You were playing against my brother.”_ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

____He peers at her. “Sokka? You look a lot like him.”_ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

____“Well, we _are _related.”___ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

______Aang comes out of the bathroom and she gestures to him. “I gotta go.”_ _ _ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

______“Yeah. Uh, bye.”_ _ _ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

______She gives a small wave before taking off toward the entrance, Aang hurrying to keep up._ _ _ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

______“That was so embarrassing,” she groans._ _ _ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

______“What was?” he asks_ _ _ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

______“That whole conversation. Ugh. Can you two beat him the next time you play him?” she replies, getting into the back of the car._ _ _ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

______“Sure, Katara,” Aang says, still sounding confused. “We'll do our best.”_ _ _ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

_____ _

_______ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> Look. I know it says Sukka as a relationship but I've seen screencaps (?) from the comic and Suki and Zuko has chemistry, okay? And, let's be honest, Zuko _is _hot. That is a fact. If Bryke didn't want us to think Zuko was hot, then they wouldn't have given us that many shirtless Zuko scenes. As far as Katara goes, her yelling "Boo" at Jet is my reaction after a frat boy pisses me off once and then still tries to interact with me, acting as if nothing happened. And salutes can be so cocky, okay?__ I am aware this ending is actually terrible but I just wanted to get another part out. Volleyball apps are notoriously crappy (teamsnap, anyone?) and I thought I would showcase that


End file.
